Blog 7: Personal Reflection

Great stories get shared— and that’s why they’re so important for creating great digital content. People like telling stories and they like listening to them. They also appreciate authenticity. No one wants to read something that was only created with the purpose of slapping text on a page. By including storytelling elements in your writing, not only does it bring a certain level of character and authenticity to your content, but it keeps people engaged and creates something that they actually want to read. Even if what you’re writing is not specifically a “story,” incorporating storytelling elements like using active voice, being clear and concise, and not burying the lead can help keep readers engaged. 

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

I’ve always considered myself guided by storytelling, so this is not a concept that I’m unfamiliar with. I want to write like I’m telling a story. Stories may not always look like the traditional ones we are familiar with. I could be telling the story of my profession, the story of good social media content, the story of my experience in learning through this course. But regardless of what context I’m using storytelling in, the one thing I’m certain of is that I want to tell stories that have purpose.

I want everything that I write to mean something— and I don’t mean in the sense where your high school English teacher told you that every line of the poem had a specific secret meaning created by the author. My writing doesn’t need to have a deeper purpose, but it does need to be valuable. I never want to lose my Integrity as a writer, and that means regardless of what circumstances I’m in, I will always treat writing as though I’m telling a story.

Blog #6: Rediscovering My Love Of History

What excites me to get out of bed every morning (related to my business)?

So when I was a kid I always had an interest in learning, especially when it came to history. I was that weirdo who spent my time reading encyclopedias. But as I got older, I noticed that a lot of other people didn’t share the same thirst for information that I did. Some might have had it to begin with, but after years spent in the public school system, the endless parade of tests, essays and textbooks somehow managed to snuff it out.

Turns out, as vital as it might be to our history, we have to face it, most kids don’t want to learn about the War of 1812.

Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash

If you want to get people interested in history, you need to dig below the surface. There is so much weird and wacky information out there that we never learned about in school.

Once I was an adult, I managed to reconnect with my old love of history and found myself often watching documentaries, video essays on YouTube, or researching different topics for fun. I didn’t learn about World War II or the creation of Parliament. I learned about how pineapples used to be a status symbol in 17th century Europe, how the Australian government once declared war on emus, and that one time the Emperor of Prussia kidnapped a whole bunch of tall people in the night because he wanted his army to be really tall. My love for learning had found me again, and I knew that I needed to share this with others.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

My YouTube channel gives me the opportunity to revitalize an interest in learning history that the general population often loses by exploring that topic in the context of academia. It brings me so much joy to research topics that interest me and share them with other people. That is the reason I make videos, and that is what excites me to get out of bed in the morning.

Are you a history buff like me? Let me know what your favorite fact or historical topic is in the comments!

Has Social Media Made Us Less Social?

Considering that the word “social” is in the name “social media,” you would think that spending hours of our day on it would indeed make us more social. But some studies have actually found that the opposite is true. Social media is supposed to be this great thing that can bring people together, yet the more we use it, the lonelier we are.

In fact, a study conducted in 2016 found that, “in spite of this enhanced interconnectivity, young adults may be lonelier than other age groups, and that the current generation may be the loneliest ever.” So what’s going on? Why does using social media make us feel lonely if we’re supposedly connecting to people online? Has social media actually made us less social?

Photo by Inzmam Khan

Convenience

In my own experience, and one that I’m sure many of you can relate to, social media is so convenient that it isolates us. Why would you go through all the trouble of organizing a meet up with a friend when you can just send them a message online? For a teenager who may be unable to drive, a quick text seems like a much more convenient choice than figuring out how to get to your friend through walking or public transit. And it takes so much less time!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

I ran into this problem a lot when I was in college doing group projects. Despite the fact that we were supposed to work together, nobody wanted to meet up in person to actually do the work. Everyone just wanted to text each other in a group chat. And trust me when I say that doing a group project over text is so much more frustrating than it needs to be. 

FOMO

Another reason why social media might make us feel lonelier is that it makes many of us experience FOMO, or the fear of missing out.

Scrolling through endless posts on Instagram and seeing all your friends doing fun things makes us feel worse about ourselves if we’re just sitting around at home. If it makes us feel as though we’re actually being less social, when in reality, you’re only seeing one side of the picture. People don’t usually post pictures of themselves sitting around on the couch at home. That’s just not interesting.

How We Use Social Media

I think a good way to look at it is to actually take a step back and ask, were some of these social media ever social at all?

I would argue that something like Facebook absolutely was, but most of the time we’re not actually using social media to engage with other people. Most of our time is spent scrolling. And even if you are interacting, how in-depth of a conversation are you really having in the comments section of an Instagram post? Are you really going to make meaningful connections by having an argument through the replies on Twitter?

Photo by Erik Lucatero on Unsplash

The major problem is that people don’t typically use social media to be social. So yeah, I would say it has made us less social. But that’s not saying that we can’t change that.

There are many great opportunities like joining online groups with people that share a common interest or catching up with a long distance friend through messaging. Though I would also urge people to still make time for face-to-face connection if they’re feeling lonely. It really can make all the difference.

So what do you think? Has social media made us less social?

Twitter Post

Has #socialmedia made us less social? 🤔The evidence seems to say yes. Learn more about social media and its ties to loneliness in my latest blog post! #loneliness #FOMO

http://tinyurl.com/yc39penc 

Facebook Post

Considering that the word “social” is in the name “social media,” you would think that spending hours of our day on it would indeed make us more social. But some studies have actually found that the opposite is true.

Click the link to learn more about social media and its ties to loneliness in my latest blog post! http://tinyurl.com/yc39penc 

#loneliness #socialmedia #FOMO

Blog #5: My Personal Brand

My personal brand is one that’s honest, upfront, and cares deeply about supporting others. To me, communication is the most important part of developing any relationship. I’m a talker; I like to take an active role in conversation and use words to work through my emotions and problems.

When I’m experiencing great emotional turmoil, being honest and talking about my feelings with close friends and loved ones is how I process things, and it helps me build stronger interpersonal connections with the people in my life. I am not the kind of person to hide when I’m upset either. I like to get straight to the point, talk about my feelings, and find a constructive solution. The same is true for my approach to supporting others in my life. When my friends and family members are going through difficult times, I like to help them talk through their feelings and find some understanding in their emotions.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Another important aspect of my personal brand is that I love knowledge and I love to share it with other people. I spend a great amount of my time researching and learning things for fun. I like to have in-depth conversations about life and philosophy, or share fun facts about history or animals.

Once I went to the Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto with a friend and found that the information plaques really didn’t tell you much about the animals. So having a vast interest in marine life, I began telling my friend extra things about the animals we passed. It actually ended up attracting a few other people and soon I had a small group following me as though I was giving a tour.

Photo by Tim B Motivv on Unsplash

My eagerness to learn and my honest, upfront nature is the thing that draws people to me. It is what makes up my personal brand, and what makes me who I am.

5 Tips For Healthier Social Media Habits

It is no secret that social media has become a big part of our lives. It keeps us more connected than ever. But with all of its benefits, social media has its drawbacks as well, especially for those that are avid users. 

In North America, people spend an average of 2 hours on social media a day— and that only accounts for social media, not other screen time. With so much time spent with our heads looking down at our phones, it is important that we take time to step back and evaluate how we’re using social media, and how we can make smarter choices.

Here are the five best tips that I’ve found for a healthier social media experience:

1: Avoid social comparison

When you’re flooded with hundreds of posts from your friends and family everyday, it’s easy to feel like your life is not living up to the expectations set by social media. It seems like everywhere you turn someone you know is going on vacation or taking a fun trip to a museum or concert.

Photo by Julián Gentilezza on Unsplash

It’s important to remember that, chances are, your friends’ lives are just as boring as yours, the only difference is that you only see the things they post. It might be tempting, but don’t compare yourself to what you see on social media. One post is never the full story.

2: Don’t get hung up on the numbers

Becoming obsessed with likes or follower counts is a trap that we’ve all fallen into at some point. While seeing these numbers go up may make our brain do a little happy dance, giving them too much attention is only going to disappoint you in the end. Growing your social media presence is one thing, but getting too hung up on the numbers is a bad idea.

3: Curate your experience

One of the best things about social media is that you can choose who you connect with. If you don’t like the kind of things that someone is posting, you don’t have to follow them. And if someone is really becoming a problem, remember, the block button is there for a reason. Don’t be afraid to block people if it means that you have a happier and healthier social media experience.

4: Be a part of a healthy community

Photo by Dio Hasbi Saniskoro

When everyone is hidden behind a computer screen, it can be a lot easier to say something online that we would never say in person. Not to mention that there’s people out there saying mean things just to get a reaction. Instead, try to cultivate a positive community experience. Think before you post something. Would this hurt someone? Is this the kind of thing I would say in my real life? If not, maybe it’s best that you think a little harder before posting.

5: Set screen time limits

Arguably the best way to avoid any negative impacts of social media use, is to set boundaries. Take a minute to step back and evaluate just how much time you’re spending on social media. You’d be surprised just how quickly the hours can add up if you’re not paying attention. A great way to do this is to use a screen time tracking app or use the built-in features on your smartphone.

I’ve found that these 5 tips have helped me improve my online experience greatly. What are your own habits for healthy social media use?

Twitter Post

Want to have a healthier social media experience? Check out these 5 tips to improve your habits! 👇👇👇 #socialmedia #healthyhabits

http://tinyurl.com/m4aan2uc 

Facebook Post

Did you know that North Americans spend an average of 2 hours on social media a day? And that’s just social media. With all that screen time, it’s important to make sure that you have healthy habits. Check out my latest blog post to learn 5 tips for improving your online experience!

http://tinyurl.com/m4aan2uc 

#healthyhabits #socialmedia

Wendy’s on Twitter: They’ve Got Beef

Whenever I think of a brand that has a unique way of engaging with its audience online, I think of Wendy’s. With teens and young adults being the largest consumers of fast food, particularly teenage boys, Wendy’s has tailored its online presence to appeal to this demographic through authenticity, relatability, and internet-humor. Many brands tend to speak a little too formally on social media, being very careful to respond to customer complaints in a courteous and professional manner. Wendy’s throws “brand-speak” entirely out the window.

They post jokes and memes.

Image by Nadia Lopez

They respond to criticism or negativity, not by writing formal apologies or polite statements, but rather sassing the naysayers back.

Image by Nadia Lopez

They even throw shade at their rival companies, having had some notable arguments online with competition like Burger King and McDonald’s.

Image by Iveta on Boredpanda,com

And of course, they are quick to provide a response to any mention of their company, whether that be positive or negative. All of these things come together to give Wendy’s not the persona of a brand, but of a regular person. They don’t try to be overly nice and friendly, and people like that. It makes them feel human.

Generation Z is known for being notoriously hard to market to and somewhere along the line, Wendy’s realized that the overly formal tone was not working with young people. Even for those that don’t like to follow companies on Twitter, or find their attempts to be relatable a little bit cringe, you can’t deny that Wendy’s has made an impact. I mean, their Twitter battle with Burger King was legendary. They made a mixtape.

Wendy’s is a company that knows their audience and has figured out exactly how to engage with them. They have 3.8 million followers for a reason. Clearly they’re doing something right.

Finding My Niche Audience

In my spare time I run a YouTube channel where I make short educational videos about history. I mainly like to focus on the Victorian and Regency eras, or other history about women, such as historical fashion trends. Since I’m trying to grow my channel, I figured that this was the perfect time to do some audience research.

Assessing My Audience

I began by assessing my target audience, which was made easier thanks to the analytics provided by YouTube Creator Studio. According to the last month of statistics, my primary demographic appears to be women, coming in at 63.8% of viewers, with the majority of them falling between the ages of 18 to 24 and 25 to 34.

Photo taken by Nadia Lopez

Since I make videos in English, it also makes sense that my top geographies involve people from English-speaking countries, with the United States coming first, then Canada, the United Kingdom, India, and Australia.

Photo taken by Nadia Lopez

Further Investigation and Listening

My channel has not been running long enough for YouTube to provide me with analytics showing what else my audience is watching, so I had to turn to Twitter in order to get some more information.

I began by following some popular accounts that posted stuff about the Victorian era. Then I looked at their interactions and their followers, as well as who they were following. It seems that, similar to my YouTube analytics results, the majority of accounts that engage with Victorian era content are run by women. In terms of topics, they seem to focus most heavily on Victorian fashion and architecture, sometimes also including popular literary works from that time period, such as those by Jane Austen.

I think that a solid way of communicating with this target market would be to bring emphasis to the aspects of the Victorian and Regency eras that are decadent and intriguing. One example of a successful campaign that targeted this audience before is The Bridgerton Experience, which was an exclusive ball that took them to the Regency Era and included a recreation of Bridgerton sets, method actors, and performers.

What’s your niche interest? Have you ever tried to start a social media presence to share it with others?

Also, for anyone interested, you can find my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Historidame

Social Media and the Rise of Digital Third Places

Recently, I have become a little obsessed with Third Places.

For anyone who doesn’t know, a “Third Place” is a term coined by Sociologist Ray Oldenburg, describing a location outside of your home and work where people are able to come together and socialize. Third places are often local, and allow you to meet people in your area while spending little or no money to be there. Examples include libraries, cafes, community centers, and parks.

Photo by Tony Lee on Unsplash

The Loss of Third Places

But due to the effects of the pandemic, rising prices, and many locations such as malls closing down, third places are becoming harder and harder to find— especially for young people that do not have access to a car or the money required to use the few we have left. During the Covid-19 lock-down, the absence of third places was more apparent than ever, and it was likely these events that accelerated a new phenomenon: the rise of Digital Third Places.

Discovering a Digital Community

Social media has a lot of benefits, especially when it comes to connecting with people over long distances, but I didn’t truly appreciate this capability until I found myself trapped in my own home for a few months amid a global pandemic. It was during this time that I first discovered the joy of third places on social media. Of course, at the time I didn’t know what a third place was, I just knew that I found a community on a Discord server where I was able to engage with other people via a virtual “city.” This Discord server was designed around the game Dungeons & Dragons and used different server channels to create a digital city where people could role-play as their characters and interact with others as if they were in a physical place.

And I wasn’t the only one who discovered a community like this during the lock-down. From talking to my friends, I discovered that many of them had become engaged in online communities through platforms such as Reddit or Facebook. We, like thousands of other people around the globe, had just discovered digital third places.

Photo by Bastian Riccardi on Unsplash

In the time since then, I have really gravitated towards Reddit, because I find the way that the platform is structured provides a great opportunity to find niche communities. I am part of a subreddit where people discuss Victorian Era history, one for new YouTubers where we help each other in growing our channels, and a virtual running group where I received tips from others as I started jogging for the first time.

Will it be enough?

But as amazing as these online spaces are, they are still not a substitute for face-to-face human connection. Something always feels… missing.

While  you can still interact with people online, it feels less mentally satisfying. That is because digital communication doesn’t include certain factors that the brain picks up on, such as nonverbal cues, body language, or inflection and tone. But regardless, third places in social media are here to stay. And they just might help us to feel a little less lonely.

Have you found a sense of community through social media? Do you prefer physical or digital third places? Maybe a combination of both?

I’d love to hear about any and all experiences you’ve had with third places in an online setting.

Twitter post

Feeling lonely? Your life might be missing a #ThirdPlace. Learn more about third places and how you can find your community online here: http://tinyurl.com/dk5hh2x9

Facebook Post

Have you felt more lonely after the pandemic? 🙁 Your life might be missing something known as a “third place.” Check out my blog post to learn more about third places and how you can find one in your neighborhood or online! #thirdplace #lockdown #loneliness

Lean more here: http://tinyurl.com/dk5hh2x9 

Has TikTok Killed Our Attention Span?

A few months ago, I volunteered to be part of a career panel at my old high school. It was a great experience; I got to share my expertise with teens aspiring to join my field, had some meaningful conversations, and best of all– I was able to reconnect with some of my favorite teachers. However, during our discussion after the panel, my former teacher shared with me something that I found surprising: teens are getting harder to teach.

To this, I’m sure most people would say, “wait a minute, haven’t teens always been hard to teach?” But apparently in recent years there has become an increasing problem of keeping them focused in school, and many people are attributing this to the rise of social media use, especially apps like TikTok.

TikTok Brain

In my research on this issue, I was quick to discover the term “TikTok Brain.” This pretty much refers to the addictive effects that short-form-content based apps like TikTok can have on a person’s brain, especially a young person whose brain is still developing. The fact of the matter is that short videos provide a quick dopamine hit that stimulates the pleasure center of our brains, and often leaves us wanting more. Add that to the fact that algorithms are designed to give us exactly the kind of content we want, coupled with endless scroll features, and you have an environment that is very difficult to pull yourself away from. 

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

If you’ve spent any amount of time on TikTok— or in my case YouTube Shorts— you probably know how easy it can be for time to pass without you even noticing. Got something you have to do? Let’s do it after just one more video. After all, they’re only like 30 seconds long. Pretty soon, you’ve completely forgotten your task and wasted two hours on your phone. So you can imagine what kind of effect apps like this have on kids in school.

Those who are avid TikTok users even report they are unable to focus on longer videos, with 50% stating that they find these formats to be stressful. I myself have noticed worrying changes in my attention span over the pandemic, specifically that I now find it difficult to sit through a movie and often end up splitting it into two parts. And it’s not just TikTok anymore that’s causing this problem. Other social media apps like YouTube and Instagram have realized that short form video keeps users scrolling longer, and have now implemented features like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. 

So this begs the question, what can we do?

As much as we might not like the answer, and as hard as it might be, we need to put our phones down. Personally, I find that it’s much easier to stay motivated and limit my screen time when I make myself aware of the predatory practices that social media algorithms employ. Another great way is to use built-in features on your device such as screen time counters that measure how long you’re spending online and on which apps.

This road won’t be easy. But we need to do ourselves this favor. Put your phone down. You’ll thank yourself for it one day.

Have you noticed this problem yourself? What actions do you take to help limit your screen time?

Twitter Post

Has your attention span gotten worse? 🤔 You might have #tiktokbrain. Click the link to learn more: http://tinyurl.com/muxcrrk2 #disconnect

Facebook Post

Has your teen’s attention span gotten worse lately? They might have “TikTok Brain.” Learn more about TikTok Brain and what you can do about it in my latest blog post! 👇👇👇 #tiktok #disconnect

http://tinyurl.com/muxcrrk2

Sources:

Miller, M. (2022, April 13). Is ‘TikTok brain’ affecting kids? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/tiktok-brain-5225664

TikTok is killing your brain, one short-form video at a time. (2022, September 18). Social Media Psychology. https://socialmediapsychology.eu/2022/08/18/tiktok-is-killing-your-brain-right-now/

The Three Tenants Of Better Writing

Be concise. Be direct. And by god, make sure you get to the good stuff first. I hereby dub these my three tenants of better writing.

People have the attention span of a goldfish, which means that they don’t want to read everything you’ve written. Sucks, right? Especially if you’re someone like me, who just loves to ramble on. 

But hopefully if I’ve kept you reading past the first few sentences of this blog post, you’ll give me the chance to explain how not only I, but you can become a better writer.

Photo by lilartsy on Unsplash

Tenant 1: Be Concise

Firstly, you must be concise. Say what you want to say and get to the point.

I am notoriously bad at this because I love flowery language and providing detailed descriptions. See? I’ve already added way too many adjectives in that last sentence. So to keep this short, I will tell you this: be clear, structure your writing into a beginning, middle, and end, and break it up into titles and sections. And of course, don’t ramble.

Tenant 2: Be Direct

A passive voice is boring to read.

Don’t tell me that “the city is being destroyed by Godzilla,” tell me, “Godzilla is destroying the city!” That second one provides a lot more urgency for me to get the hell out of there.

Writing that uses a direct and active tone is more interesting for a reader. Be direct in describing your subject and your readers will thank you for it later.

Tenant 3: Get to The Good Stuff

My essay-loving brain is great at forgetting this one. I love providing lots of descriptive buildup and then getting to the point when I feel good and ready.

Don’t be like me. Hit your readers over the head with the good stuff right out of the gate. Whack them with the most important information like you’ve got a shoe in your hand and just spotted a large spider.

The Finishing Touches

Now if you’ve mastered the three tenants of better writing, you need to add the finishing touches. The herbs and spices, if you will. This will include enticing your audience to take action.

Now I would like you to learn and contribute to the conversation, so I will end this post by asking— which of these tenants is your biggest pitfall?